1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to annular sealing grommets and gaskets designed to form fluid tight seals between members to be joined.
2. Description of the Prior Art
In the past, numerous gasket and grommet configurations have been devised to effectuate fluid tight sealing between members at their junctions. Many such grommets are utilized in automotive vehicles, for example in joining fuel lines, oil lines and other fluid carrying conduits to more massive structures. Such gaskets and grommets are also used to form fluid tight seals between nonfluid connecting cords, such as electrical cords. A typical application in this regard involves the use of gaskets at both the ignition coil and the distributor cap in an automotive vehicle to prevent seepage of moisture into either of these engine components.
Unitl the present invention, gaskets and grommets have been sized in inner diameter according to the outer diameter of a particular size of conduit or cable which the gasket is designed to encompass, and in outer diameter according to the inner diameter of the larger structure with which the conduit or cable is to be joined. The gasket thus occupies an annular space between two joined structures in a manner so as to prevent the passage of any fluid between the outside diameter of the smaller structure and the inside diameter of the larger member.
Heretofore, the inner diameters of gaskets of this type have been specifically sized to accomodate a conduit or cable of a single outside diameter. Where alternative sizes of conduits might be joined in position to a larger structure, the provision of each alternative size conduit necessarily involves the provision of a different appropriately sized gasket.